Silver and Gold
by SplendentGoddess
Summary: Christmas Eve is a time to celebrate family, love, and togetherness. Not something Kagome gets a lot of while trying to stop Naraku. But everyone deserves the occasional night off, right? Takes place during manga chapter 512. Inu/Kag Lemon WAFF


Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

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Nominated for Best Inu/Kag Romance, Feudal Association, 1st Quarter 2009

A/N 1:

This story has been modified in compliance with 's policies regarding adult content. In this format it is rated M (R) and does contain a lemon, which has been properly edited. The original version is rated MA (X) and can be found on either mediaminer or AFF.

A/N 2:

This story is canon, and takes place during the end of manga chapter 512, The Right Wish. While the Christmas holiday is not mentioned in the manga, I figure it would've been around this chapter, as it's clearly winter, and Kagome mentions that the high school entrance exams are less than a month away. High school entrance exams in Japan take place between January and February. This is the perfect chapter in which to squeeze in a Christmas story, as Kagome has already returned to her own time for studying, and Inuyasha even shows up to bother her. I've decided to alter the flow of the last page of chapter 512 a tiny bit, so that the night Kagome is studying and Inuyasha shows up and they start talking does in fact take place in this story just as in the manga, but they do not return to the past the very next morning. Instead, the night Inuyasha shows up and they talk about Kagome's powers being sealed turns out to be Dec. 23rd, so that the next morning is the day of Christmas Eve, and Kagome wants to stay one more day and night in her time. This story begins during the last page of chapter 512, where Kagome suddenly realizes that it's morning and that they've talked all night long.

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~*~*~ Silver and Gold ~*~*~

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_The right wish…the right wish…_ Kagome repeated to herself over and over, remembering her grandfather's words. _When the last person to hold the jewel makes the right wish, it'll disappear forever, but…what __is_ _the right wish? _

Sitting in the peaceful quiet with her best friend by her side, Kagome was contemplating how to handle the immense weight that'd been placed upon her shoulders, when the bright rays of morning's light flickering in through her bedroom window suddenly pulled her from her musings.

"Wait, it's morning already!"

Startled by her exclamation, Inuyasha jumped to his feet beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Ugh!" Kagome sighed, collapsing against the wall beside her window and softly banging her forehead a few times. "I didn't get any studying done!"

"Feh…you're hopeless." Inuyasha groused, though he quickly shut his mouth at the murderous look Kagome flashed him at his words.

"Well, come on…" the miko said after a moment with a resigned sigh, "We might as well get some breakfast."

Mrs. Higurashi was always up with the sun, and that morning was no exception as Kagome and Inuyasha headed downstairs to be greeted by the sounds of her puttering around in the kitchen. The smell of home cooking was already beginning to fill the air, although that wasn't the scent that caught Inuyasha's attention, as the hanyou immediately turned his gaze to focus confusedly on what _looked _like a pine tree, the plastic facsimile standing proudly in the corner of the living room. It was decorated with all sorts of shimmering objects in either silver or gold, and all in all looked totally and utterly foreign to our 15th century hanyou.

"What the hell?" he muttered more to himself, although Kagome heard him. Turning to see what'd caught his attention, she smiled at the sight of him staring at their Christmas tree.

Approaching where he stood, the miko startled her friend when she offered him her hand, grinning at his mild blush as she turned to lead them back towards the breakfast table, while briefly explaining the concept of Christmas. She didn't want to overwhelm him with a history lesson regarding the Pagan and Christian connections to the holiday, especially since the holiday was more just for fun in her country, anyway, so instead she kept it short and simple, hoping he'd just accept everything at face value. She did apologize for the funny smell of the plastic tree to his nose, explaining that in the Western part of the world, real, live pine trees were actually the tradition, but because they were not readily available all over the world, a lot of people used fake trees instead, especially in Japan.

"So let me get this straight…" he started up after a moment. "You humans cut down perfectly good pine trees to drag indoors, or use funny smelling fake trees if you don't have a bit enough forest, decorating them with all sorts of stupid ornaments until they look like gaudy Geisha wigs, and then sit next to the fake or dying trees as some sort of symbol of family while exchanging gifts?"

"Umm…yeah?" Kagome answered sheepishly, unable to suppress a mild giggle at his look of utter bewilderment.

He just snorted.

Of course, Christmas was much more important than he'd managed to make it sound, but it didn't really surprise her that he didn't understand. He was from another time, after all. Shaking her head in that moment, Kagome opted to forget about it for the time being. Breakfast was ready.

"Inu no nii-chan!" Souta exclaimed excitedly. "When did you get here?"

"Last night." the hanyou answered through a mouthful of food.

Jii-chan muttered something under his breath about youkai with no table manners, but didn't otherwise comment as he proceeded to help himself to his daughter-in-law's wonderful cooking. Kagome blushed a little at her companion's bluntness, but the fact that he'd more or less just admitted to spending the night in her room apparently went unnoticed to the hanyou who continued to stuff his face, unfazed by her grandfather's mutterings.

Mrs. Higurashi chose to speak up in that moment, effectively changing the subject as she asked, "Will you be staying for Christmas dinner, Inuyasha?"

Kagome sputtered and instantly turned a nice shade of crimson, glaring daggers at her mother, who merely smiled back with a look of clairvoyance all mothers possessed when it came to their daughters' feelings. The truth was that Kagome hadn't really given Christmas dinner all that much thought. For a while there, she hadn't even been sure if she'd be able to spend Christmas Eve with her family at all, let alone whether or not Inuyasha would want to join her for the holiday. Then last night she'd been so caught up with trying to study for her high school entrance exams that she'd momentarily forgotten about Christmas altogether, and when Inuyasha had shown up and they'd begun talking about the Shikon no Tama and her sealed miko powers, the winter holiday had honestly been the furthest thing from her mind. There were a lot more important things going on in her life right now for her to worry about than some overly commercialized holiday, after all. Or at least, that was what Kagome kept on trying to tell herself. The truth was, she'd love nothing more than one night, just _one peaceful night_, away from all the death, all the turmoil, all the responsibilities of being the only one who could purify the sacred jewel.

Although she hadn't actually asked him yet if it'd be all right if she stayed one more night in her time, she was sure he'd probably gotten the hint that she wouldn't be returning yet after her little speech about the importance of Christmas Eve. Now that she thought about it, the idea of spending such a special night with Inuyasha gave Kagome a feeling of giddy butterflies in her stomach, and she caught herself wondering, was that what being a normal teenage girl felt like?

In the mean time, Inuyasha had completely misinterpreted Kagome's reaction to her mother's question, and the hanyou found himself trying to stave off unwarranted feelings of rejection. He knew Kagome cared for him, didn't think lowly of him for his mixed heritage, but she'd just finished explaining to him how Christmas was a _family _holiday. He was sure she'd never turn him down, especially since her mother had already extended the invitation – for which he felt both humbled and honored – but he was also equally sure that she didn't _really _want him there, so for once, he decided to save face.

"That's okay, Higurashi-san." he spoke up then, making sure he'd swallowed all the food in his mouth before explaining politely, "I wouldn't want to crowd you guys out during a family celebration."

"Oh, no…Inuyasha-" Kagome started to say with a sympathetic tone, but he cut her off in that moment with an annoyed glare, believing Kagome was just trying to be polite as he reiterated quietly, "I said _no, _wench."

He hadn't called her 'wench' in quite a while, and Kagome didn't know why, but the dig really stung this time. He only called her that when he was annoyed with her. What had she done? She'd made sure to leave out all the romantic aspects of the holiday when she'd explained it to him, not wanting to scare him off or make him feel awkward, so why would he reject her mother's invitation so outright?

Inuyasha was annoyed, but only because he believed Kagome was about to insist how he _was _family, and how he wouldn't crowd them out, and blah blah blah. He just didn't want to hear it. He appreciated that her family had so openly accepted him, and her little brother even called him 'nii-chan', but…he wasn't _really _a part of her family, and Kagome deserved to have whatever precious few moments with her family undisturbed that she could. He owed her at least that much. He was truly touched by the invitation, but…she deserved this…this time away from him. It would be his 'Christmas present' to her, since he most certainly didn't have anything else he could give her. He owned nothing but his sword and the clothes on his back.

He was expecting a bigger argument, so he was honestly surprised, yet also relieved, when Kagome seemed to take his 'no' for an answer. Closing her mouth, she turned away and finished the last few bites of her breakfast in silence. At first Inuyasha thought he'd done the right thing, until he happened to glance up and catch the hard glare Kagome's mother was now sending his way. He gulped and shot the elder Higurashi woman a very 'what did I do?' kind of look, but in that moment, he didn't even need her to answer his unspoken question, as his sensitive nose instantly picked up on the scent of Kagome's sadness. Why had she suddenly gotten so sad? Had _he _done that? Did she really want him to attend that evening's festivities, after all? Then why had she sputtered so at her mother's invitation? The hanyou was thoroughly confused, but planning on getting to the bottom of it right then and there, he was just about to open his mouth to demand that Kagome tell him what was wrong, when she suddenly sprung from her chair, fake smile plastered firmly in place as she announced how she'd better get ready for school.

"I should go in whenever I have the opportunity to." she stated logically, adding, "And maybe I can borrow my friends' notes for the entrance exams."

Buzzing around the kitchen as she fixed herself a quick bento lunch for later, Kagome acted almost oblivious to Inuyasha's continued presence, until she suddenly turned, and smiling her scary fake smile, said, "So I'll be back sometime tomorrow morning. All right, Inuyasha?" It was clear she wasn't really asking him anything, she was telling him.

"Uhh… su-sure." he gulped.

Her smile brightened. "Great!" she stated in false joy. "So then I'll see you tomorrow. See the rest of you guys this afternoon, bye!" she finished, heading off to grab her shoes, coat and backpack before heading out the door.

It took Souta a full two minutes to realize that he should've left for school himself. "Ah hell, I'm gonna be late!" he cried as he ran back upstairs to grab his books before practically flying right out the front door.

Muttering something about insensitive youkai who didn't know anything, Jii-chan went outside to take care of his shrinely duties, which just left Mrs. Higurashi and Inuyasha alone, staring at each other from across the kitchen table.

Kagome's mother had a hard look, which froze the hanyou in his place, but after a moment her eyes softened, as though coming to a conclusion of sorts.

"You don't really know anything about Christmas, do you, Inuyasha?" she asked him kindly, no accusations present in her voice.

Shrugging, and trying to pretend that the woman sitting before him didn't make him as nervous as he truly felt, he answered honestly, "Only what Kagome told me."

Smiling in understanding, then, Mrs. Higurashi proceeded to tell the hanyou boy all about the aspect of Christmas that her daughter had neglected to mention, of how it was an especially romantic occasion for young couples in love. Despite his instant embarrassment, Inuyasha didn't interrupt, as Kagome's mother continued to explain how all girls around Kagome's age wanted nothing more than to spend Christmas Eve in the company of the boy they loved, and that girls not in relationships often found that time of year rather depressing, a reminder of what they didn't have.

"Is that why Kagome got so sad?" Inuyasha braved asking after Mrs. Higurashi was done with her little speech. "Because other girls her age are in courtships and she's not?"

Though he would never be stupid enough to say anything out loud on the subject, he was suddenly reminded a great deal of Kikyou, and of how she too had longed to be an ordinary woman, to be able to find love. Being the protector of the Shikon Jewel simply prevented such things. Even though Kagome was _not _Kikyou, and he knew that and was forever grateful for that fact, it seemed that in some ways, the miko was destined to follow in her preincarnation's footsteps. It was his job to make sure that that at least didn't include dying at the hands of Naraku. If that bastard ever-

"No, Inuyasha…" Mrs. Higurashi suddenly spoke up, pulling him from his wandering thoughts. "Kagome got sad because the boy she loves just declined joining her for Christmas Eve."

Sputtering, the red-faced hanyou tried to remember how to form words. "But…I…you…I just…she didn't…" It was Mrs. Higurashi's mild chuckle that snapped him back into reality, and he blushed even darker as he suddenly realized that he'd automatically presumed she'd been referring to himself, rather than the _old _him who would've probably gotten jealous instead, believing that Kagome had some other, mystery suitor. He wasn't stupid, at least not any more. He knew how Kagome felt about him, but nothing could ever come of it…at least not while they were still hunting Naraku. Right?

"Higurashi-san?"

"All Kagome wants for Christmas, Inuyasha, is you." she said in her tender, motherly way.

His eyes widened at her words, and he cursed himself for having hung around Miroku for too long, but before he could put his foot in his mouth, she continued.

"She's told me a few things, though not many, of your journeys together in the past. I know enough to know that she sometimes feels shut out, that you've built up a wall around yourself to keep others out-

"-To keep them safe." she added in acknowledgment with a raised hand to silence his would-be interruption. Closing his mouth, he let her continue then…

"Let her in, Inuyasha." Kagome's mother beseeched with a warm smile twinkling in her eyes. "At least for tonight, when the two of you can be alone, without the interruptions and responsibilities of your mission in the past."

Inuyasha gave genuine thought to what she was asking of him, this kind woman who reminded him so much of his own mother. She had accepted him with open arms into her home, into her family, and now, she had more or less just told him to his face that she knew quite well of how her daughter was…is…in love with him. Christmas Eve was apparently a special night for young couples, a festivity in which people in love rejoiced in their love for one another, together, and she wanted him to spend it with her daughter. To 'open up' to Kagome, and lower the walls he'd built around his heart. If only Mrs. Higurashi knew that Kagome had long ago burrowed herself a tunnel clean through those very walls. But she was right, with the responsibilities they faced back in his time, they never had any moments to truly be alone. Over the last few months, the only times they'd had together in privacy had always been in Kagome's room, there, in the future. Would spending another night alone in her presence really be so bad? Would 'letting her in' really be so awful? But what if things got…beyond his control? Shuddering in what he couldn't be sure what was a good or a bad way, Inuyasha remembered what'd very nearly happened not all that long ago, when he'd brought her the bow from Mt. Azusa that she'd left behind, only to end up spending some time 'alone' with her in her room. Had Souta not chosen that very moment to barge through the door…

"I…I don't know…" he spoke softly, more to himself, although some part of him was very much aware of the woman currently listening to his every word. "I…Kagome is so…when we're alone, I…What if-"

"You love my daughter very much, don't you?" she interrupted, trying desperately not to chuckle at his startled gasp or reddening cheeks.

"You don't have to say anything, your look says it all." she added, standing up and approaching where he still sat at the table.

Inuyasha turned his head to gaze up at Mrs. Higurashi nervously, but didn't otherwise move, even when she placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder.

"I trust you, Inuyasha…" she started, and a wave of guilt washed over him. Not that he would _ever _betray her trust in him regarding her daughter's virtue, but if she knew of some of his…less than honorable thoughts… But he wasn't the letch. He had full control over himself, and he would never-

"I trust you and Kagome to follow your hearts, and ultimately, to make the right decisions for yourselves." Mrs. Higurashi continued then, swiftly earning the hanyou's full attention, as the true meaning of her words slowly sank in. "My daughter is a young woman, Inuyasha, and capable of knowing what her heart desires. I won't stand in the way of your love for one another, and I trust you to not take advantage of my daughter's feelings. She trusts you with her life, you know, but you hold something much more precious than that in your hands, you hold her heart."

He couldn't speak. Some new emotion he'd never felt before was caught in his throat, preventing him from forming words, as all that escaped his mouth was a choked sound of humbled astonishment. Had Kagome's mother just said what he _thought _she'd said? Had she really just given him permission to…to…

But it went far beyond that. This woman…she…accepted him…and her daughter. She accepted _him and her daughter_, together…in every sense of the word. Anyone else in her position would be screaming "Youkai!" and chasing him from their property with sacred sutra. They most certainly would _not _allow their teenage daughter to go traipsing across the wilds of ancient Japan in his company. They most certainly would _not _allow him to spend unsupervised nights in their daughter's bedroom, regardless of the fact that he always slept on the floor, if he even slept at all. Well, there was that _one _time he'd fallen asleep on her bed, but then she'd ended up sleeping on the floor. Well, the point was, it had suddenly dawned on him with the force of the Kaze no Kizu that he was _welcomed _by the woman currently standing before him. Truly and utterly welcomed, into her family.

The awkward silence that followed Mrs. Higurashi's words was broken by the sound of a wooden chair scraping backwards across her kitchen floor, as Inuyasha rose to his feet, his eyes never leaving her own.

"I've told Kagome…" he started slowly, "…that I will protect her life with my own." Unable to meet her gaze as he somehow muscled up the courage to say his next words, Inuyasha lowered his head in respect as he vowed to the mother of the girl he loved, "And I will protect her heart with my own, as well."

...

School was rather uneventful, and uninformative, and Kagome found herself wondering not for the first time why she even bothered with that place, except for the fact that it was a matter of honor that she was expected to fulfill her duty of going to school for the sake of her family. What she wouldn't give for the days of her studying to be over and done with. There were still three more years of school to go, too. That is, if she'd even be able to get into high school at all with her current grades. But that was a worry for another day. In the mean time, the miko tried to put thoughts of pending entrance exams behind her as she walked home, focusing instead on spending Christmas Eve with her family.

No sooner did she try to find a ray of happiness with that thought, did the reality of the situation bring her a twinge of sadness, as well. Of course, Inuyasha just had to decide to do the 'right' thing and step out of the picture to allow her some much needed alone time with her family on the _one _night out of the year when she really, truly wanted him there, by her side. Of course, it was all her fault, for how she'd reacted when her mother had oh-so-innocently asked Inuyasha if he would be staying with them for dinner. She'd had several hours in boring classrooms with which to come to that nice little realization. Groaning to herself as she climbed the shrine steps, Kagome couldn't believe how she'd acted, sputtering like an idiot and all that. Inuyasha probably thought that she really didn't want him there, but was just too careful of his feelings to risk hurting him with the thought of rejection. Not for the first time, the miko wondered if she should just go try to get him, but then quickly thought better of it.

What would she say to him to get him to return? What excuse could she use without telling him the truth? But more than that, what would be the point? Even though she'd love nothing more than to spend Christmas Eve in Inuyasha's company, there was no way the night could be all that she'd fantasized about, even if he were there. After all, the hanyou knew nothing of the significance of the holiday to girls in her century, and Kagome wasn't about to explain it to him, either. That was all he needed, what with everything they were currently facing back in the past. A bunch of romantic 'girly' stuff dumped on his lap which would probably only make him feel awkward and guilty. She knew he cared for her, and she knew that he would've agreed to stay for the night if he'd known how important it was to her, so his absence was no one's fault but her own.

Sighing, Kagome vowed to put thoughts of medieval hanyou behind her for the time being, as well.

Keeping that thought in mind, the miko was understandably surprised when she entered her family's home only to be greeted by the sight of Inuyasha sitting on the floor, playing with Buyo.

"Keh, 'bout time you got back." he muttered as way of hello, though there was a slight twinkle in his eye that she couldn't quite identify.

"Welcome home, dear." her mother interjected then as she came around the corner. "I'll be picking up our dinner in a couple of hours. In the mean time, why don't you take a bath?"

There it was again, that same twinkle, this time in her mother's eye. Kagome felt her own beginning to twitch. There was obviously something going on. Inuyasha had made it explicitly clear that he would be returning to the past, so what'd changed? How had her mother managed to convince him to stay? That question brought with it a horde of unwanted answers, as Kagome began to feel her cheeks flushing of their own accord, even as she prayed that she'd jumped to entirely wrong conclusions.

"That sounds nice," she answered honestly in regard to taking a bath, quickly deciding that she was grateful for Inuyasha's presence, whatever the reason. "One more hot soak before it's back to the Feudal era."

Still, she had to know…

"What made you decide to stay?" she asked Inuyasha conversationally, smiling when in his distraction of looking up at her question, Buyo managed to escape his clutches, earning a mild string of curses before he decided to answer her question as nonchalantly as possible.

"Feh…if I'd gone back empty-handed, everyone would've just been on my case, especially the brat, wondering what I'd done to piss you off _this _time."

There, that was a plausible explanation, the hanyou congratulated himself silently, still patting himself on the back for not blushing at her question. Although, from the sudden change in her scent, Inuyasha would venture to guess that his answer had been a little _too _plausible.

"They really make your life miserable when I'm over here, don't they?" Kagome asked in a mildly apologetic tone.

"Keh, only when you leave 'cause you're pissed at something I did." he shrugged off, which earned him one of her rare, heartwarming smiles.

"You haven't done that in quite some time, you know." He couldn't help but to blush slightly at her words, but he'd never been able to take praise very well, so despite his obvious discomfort, she continued. "You've been really good with letting me study for my entrance exams…thank you."

"You're…uh...you're welcome." he mumbled, before promptly jumping to his feet and heading towards her bedroom. "Well, go on and take your bath, stinky. I'll be in your room, avoiding Souta. I can hear him coming up the shrine steps."

Kagome just chuckled mildly to herself, smiling and shaking her head as she headed in the direction of the washroom.

...

The bath was wonderful, just what she'd needed to take her mind off the stress of everything that'd been happening around her lately, both in her time, and back in the past. Well, in the past especially, since no matter _how _important high school entrance exams might be, there was simply no comparison with the severity of their need to get the sacred jewel away from Naraku. No matter, they'd find a way to defeat him; they had to. Taking one night off to relax wouldn't hurt anything. If she kept pushing herself to the point of exhaustion then she'd be of no use to anyone, and after that whole ordeal with Hitomiko, if anyone deserved a peaceful night with family and friends, she did.

Holding onto that last thought, Kagome's mind drifted away as a contented smile rose on her lips, as she allowed herself to sink deeper into the steaming water.

It wasn't until she was through with her bath that she belatedly realized she'd neglected to bring any change of clothes with her into the washroom, which left her with no choice but to put on one of the thin yukata her mother kept folded on the shelf. After all she'd been through with Inuyasha, including the two of them accidentally seeing each other naked, it really didn't faze Kagome as much as she was afraid it would to enter her room wearing the thin cotton robe. Truth be told, the garment covered more of her skin than her school uniform, but it was also a lot more…form fitting, at least in certain areas.

Inuyasha tried desperately to swallow the gasp that wanted to escape him at the sight of Kagome in that thin white robe, the damp fabric clinging to her skin in all the right places. He tried not to stare, but he honestly couldn't help it, and for Kagome's part, she tried desperately not to grin like a Cheshire cat at the way Inuyasha oh-so-obviously admired the view. Especially since it was fairly cold in her bedroom, and the fabric of the yukata she wore was so thin that Inuyasha could plainly see for himself just how cold _certain _parts of Kagome's body thought it was. Perhaps the old her would've 'sat' him, or screamed at him to get out, or called him a pervert, but that was the _old _her.

"All right, you…" she spoke up in a mildly annoyed, yet clearly amused tone of voice, "Get out so I can get dressed already."

Like an alley cat startled awake by a banging trashcan lid, he bolted from her bedroom faster than she could blink.

...

Dinner went off without a hitch. Everyone deserved a night off on Christmas Eve, and that included Mrs. Higurashi, who had closed up her kitchen for the night in favor of take-out from KFC. While Inuyasha had eaten chicken before, never in his life had he ever experienced chicken quite like this. Original Recipe wasn't too spicy for his sometimes overly sensitive taste buds, and Kagome's mother found herself grateful to have thought ahead and doubled their order when Inuyasha had agreed to stay the night. It also turned out that he was quite the fan of potato wedges, though the thin chips that came in the loud metallic bags were still his favorite in that regard. Of course, _nothing _could top ramen (hence the name, Kagome mused), and while Mrs. Higurashi wasn't cooking that night, the miko hadn't minded heating up some water to augment her friend's variable Christmas feast with a bowl of his favorite flavor…chicken.

After they finished their desert of freshly baked Christmas cake, which Inuyasha also enjoyed, it was time to exchange presents under the tree, though Kagome's mother hesitated when she caught sight of Inuyasha's ears lowering at the mention of it.

Souta was quick to catch on, as a look of surprised horror overtook him. "Oh no… Inu no nii-chan, I didn't get you a present!"

He couldn't help but to chuckle at the boy's obvious distress.

"Keh, forget about it, kid. We don't got this holiday back in my time, anyway, and besides…just letting me join you guys is good enough." His voice had dropped some to finish that last part much quieter, but everyone had still heard him, and while Mrs. Higurashi smiled at his words, no one was more touched than her daughter.

At the hanyou's insistence that he was perfectly content to observe the rest of them exchanging their gifts, the family complied, and two blouses, a CD, and dried 'dragon's' tongue later, Inuyasha found himself feeling less guilty that he didn't have anything to give Kagome, himself. Well, besides…himself.

Gulping down a glass of water to stave off his sudden nervousness, Inuyasha was grateful that Kagome wasn't currently paying him that much attention, as she watched her family open the gifts she'd gotten for them; a nice bracelet for her mother, a new video game for Souta, and some ancient herbs for her grandfather courtesy of Kaede's garden.

After everyone had opened their presents, it was time to retire for the night, and Kagome found herself wondering, not for the first time, how her mother never even seemed to blink at the notion of Inuyasha staying with her in her bedroom. Of course, Kagome knew that her mother knew that Inuyasha always slept on the floor. She'd told her as much when she'd asked her one day, although thinking back on it now, the tone of her mother's voice had been more one of concern regarding his comfort, rather than suspicion as to what was going on in there. At her words of presumed reassurance that Inuyasha did indeed remain on the floor, her mother had immediately asked if he wanted a futon, or at least a blanket and pillow. It had actually taken Kagome a couple of minutes to convince her mother that Inuyasha _always _slept sitting propped up against a wall, even back in the past, even when they were at an Inn and he had a futon available at his disposal.

The fact of the matter was, Kagome was sure, that most of the time, he wasn't even really asleep. Inuyasha didn't need as much sleep as a human, after all, and while he did doze off from time to time, he seemed to be able to put himself into some sort of mild awake-sleep that he could snap himself out of at the tiniest hint of trouble. She'd only ever seen him completely and utterly asleep once that she could remember since freeing him from his sealing spell, not including the times he'd been unconscious due to injury, and that was when he'd fallen asleep on her bed when she'd been trying to study for her mock math exam. A sleep he'd desperately needed, she was sure. It was obvious that he'd gotten to be the way he was from living a life of constant danger, of never knowing when something, _anything_, might show up in the middle of the night looking to end his life. In her time, in her room, he was safe…and he could sleep without worries.

Pulling herself from her thoughts as they entered said room in question, Kagome wondered again at the butterflies suddenly dancing in her stomach. Sure, it was Christmas Eve, and sure, she was currently alone with the man of her dreams, but this was Inuyasha we were talking about here. She needed to get a grip.

She also needed to break the somewhat awkward silence that had somehow formed between them.

"Thank you…" she started slowly, "…for letting me stay one more night."

"Keh." he answered, in a way meant to brush off her gratitude. But then, thinking about her mother's words, Inuyasha somehow managed to swallow the Shikon sized lump in his throat, and add, "You…deserve whatever moments of happiness you can get."

Kagome stared at him for a moment, as if expecting some alien youkai to shed its false Inuyasha-skin and start attacking her, but then her eyes softened a bit, as she reminded herself that the hanyou had become a lot more caring in recent weeks, at least whenever the two of them were alone.

"So do you." she answered softly, closing the door to her room so that they'd have some semblance of privacy. The rest of her family might be home, but they knew not to go barging into her room unannounced. Souta only did that when he thought she was alone.

That thought brought a wave of heat to the miko's face, as she thought about the last time she and Inuyasha had been alone in her room together. Her little brother never would've entered her room unannounced like that if he'd known that Inuyasha was there. Right? Well…maybe he would've, since he wouldn't have thought that he'd be _interrupting _anything, but even Souta knew better than to bother the two of them on Christmas Eve.

_Gah! What am I thinking? _

Mentally slapping herself, Kagome quickly turned her back to her companion under the pretence of gathering sleeping attire from her dresser, all the while desperately hoping that his sensitive hearing couldn't pick up on how rapidly her heart was beating.

"I'll be right back." she announced before quickly ducking out of her room to change, barely registering the short nod in acknowledgment Inuyasha had given her at her departure.

As soon as she was gone, the hanyou focused on getting his own pounding heart back under control. He never would've been so nervous if it weren't for that damn talk he'd had with her mother. Although, it was probably still a good thing that she'd informed him of what she had, otherwise, he would've gotten worried when he'd picked up on how nervous _Kagome_ was suddenly feeling. Without knowing what was bothering her, he probably would've pressed the issue, which would have of course only made things ten times worse. As it was, the hanyou quickly decided to play innocent to his companion's current anxiety. After all, she didn't know that he knew…about Christmas Eve, that is.

Of course, he knew that she knew that he knew of her feelings for him, and headache inducing equations aside, he was equally sure that she also knew of his feelings for her. That being said, it wasn't as if either of them had ever _said _anything on the subject. No…they'd simply almost kissed before her little brother had ruined the moment. If it hadn't been for Souta, Inuyasha wondered…how far would things have gone? Would it have only been a kiss? Would it have been awkward afterwards? Would they have gone further? Would they have…

_Gah! What am I thinking?_

Of course, it was right at that moment that Kagome reentered her bedroom, fully covered except for her head and hands in what he'd come to learn were called 'pajamas'. Despite the fact that her usual clothing revealed much more of her body than he was currently privy to viewing, there was just something about seeing her clad in the soft flannel outfit that pulled at his heartstrings. After all, those were her _sleeping _clothes; something meant to be private…right? By all rights, he shouldn't even be with her in her bedroom like he was, but even if he hadn't basically been given permission by the girl's mother to…share in her company…he would've stayed right where he was, regardless. Kagome was his responsibility, his to protect. Kagome was…his.

Of course…that also meant that he was hers, didn't it?

"_All Kagome wants for Christmas, Inuyasha, is you_._"_

_Damn it all…_

"I'm sorry…" he began slowly, mentally cringing at the sound of her breath hitching in confusion, as she turned to stare at him quizzically. "…that I didn't get you anything for Christmas."

Relaxing her posture, Kagome took a seat on the edge of her bed, and patted the spot to her right in open invitation, which he accepted with a mild blush, leaning Tetsusaiga against the wall next to her nightstand.

"Don't worry about it." she assured him genuinely. _Just having you here is more than enough_... she added in her mind, though she didn't continue that train of thought aloud as she instead spoke up with, "I didn't get you anything, either."

He snorted a soft chuckle, and raised his eyes to meet her own. Kagome's opened wide in shock at the look he gave her.

"Just being you…just being by my side…is more than I could ever ask for."

"Inuyasha?"

"There is one thing I can give you, though, if you'll accept it."

_Okay, he's really starting to freak me out here_... "Which is?"

"Myself."

If she hadn't already been sitting down, she would've lost her balance in shock at his statement, and it wasn't even as if Kagome had taken anything sexual from his meaning, because she knew his mind didn't really work that way. Instead, she took his words exactly how he'd meant them, even as he continued to elaborate.

"I won't shut you out, at least for tonight. You have me, all of me, with no resistance."

She let his words roll around in her head for a minute, thinking of the hidden potential, what such an offer could truly entail. Suddenly, a very girly giggle bubbled up in her chest, and the miko couldn't have stopped the sound from escaping her throat even if she'd tried. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity, but he couldn't help the shy grin that found its way to his lips when he caught her look of unbridled enthusiasm.

"You mean…I can brush your hair and rub your ears?" She was like a small child asking an adult if she could pet their dog. Oh wait…bad analogy. But still…

He merely shook his head in amusement, his eyes twinkling with something that Kagome dared to think resembled happiness.

"Sure, I guess." he answered after a moment, his amusement clear in his voice. "Although I'd meant more like, ya know, if you wanted to talk or somethin'. If you got anything to say or ask, I won't hold back or insult you for it."

"That's nice, too." Kagome agreed, as she got up from her bed to retrieve her hairbrush before sitting back down more in the middle of her bed, legs folded underneath her. "Come'ere." She instructed playfully.

Complying with a lopsided smile, he scooted himself away from the edge of her mattress until he sat Indian style before her, facing the foot of her bed while she sat behind him, her back to the headboard.

Raising the brush in her hand, Kagome hesitated only for a moment, before relishing in the sensation of running it through his silvery mane. She'd always been so jealous of his hair, so perfect and tangle-free, despite the lifestyle he kept. Just one of the perks of being half youkai, she supposed… As for Inuyasha, he couldn't suppress the shudder - a _good _shudder - that traveled through him at the contact. Kagome seemed to sense that he wasn't displeased with her action, as she continued uninterrupted, running her brush through his silky locks while remaining extremely careful of the sensitive ears resting within her path. Ears that she carefully began massaging with her free hand, only to smile when he seemed to unconsciously tilt his head into her touch.

He _had _said that she could ask him anything she wanted; she was dying to know.

"Do you really hate it when I touch your ears?" she asked, snickering under her breath as she added, "Because it seems to me like you like it."

He chuckled a bit himself, and answered truthfully, "They're just really sensitive. What you're doing feels…okay…but it's just easy to hurt them if you're not careful."

Kagome could tell from the way he'd paused, coupled by the nervous throat clearing he'd made during his answer, that what she was doing actually felt _more _than okay. She smiled at the knowledge. But more than that, Kagome was surprised to hear him admit that she could actually hurt him were she not careful. She'd always believed that he didn't experience pain all that easily, which for the most part was true, but thinking back on how sensitive his tongue was to certain spices, she supposed it made sense that his ears could be overly sensitive to touch, as well.

"So what really made you decide to stay tonight?" she voiced after a few more moments of silent brushing, no sarcasm or accusation present in her voice, merely curiosity.

"Didn't buy that line about Shippou, huh?"

"I did at first," Kagome admitted, before adding, "But you were so adamant about going back, and I knew it was because you'd misinterpreted my surprise at Mama's invitation." The miko blushed a little at her mild confession, but was grateful that her companion couldn't currently see her face.

"Why _did _you freak out like that?" he asked in turn, genuinely perplexed. According to her mother, she'd wanted him to stay the night, yet it'd sure looked like she'd been upset with her mother for inviting him.

"I…uh…" the miko stuttered nervously. _How did this get turned around on me all of a sudden? _Kagome wondered, narrowing her eyes at her friend's slickness. _She _was supposed to be the one asking _him _questions. "You never answered my question." she pointed out in that moment, effectively avoiding answering his own, which if memory served, was what he'd just done himself not two minutes prior.

"Your mother…" he began quietly, almost a whisper, and Kagome had to stop brushing his hair just to hear him. "…reminds me of my own mother."

_I knew it- Wait…what? He never talks about his mother!_

"She's kind, and loving, and doesn't judge me for my youkai blood." he continued, and Kagome could hear the spark of genuine wonder in his voice as he confessed his thoughts out loud.

"Your mother…accepts me…being with you."

At those words, he turned himself around to sit facing Kagome on her bed, causing her left hand to drop from where it'd still been resting peacefully cupping his ear, while she still held her hairbrush up midair in her right.

Quickly lowering said tool into her lap, Kagome sought out her companion's eyes with her own, seeing a whole barrage of emotions fluttering in their golden depths. His silvery-white bangs were smoothed out, his forelocks framing his face perfectly, and Kagome knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd never been more attracted to him than she was in that moment.

_Silver and gold_… she realized, as she studied him. _Everyone wishes for silver and gold_. And, according to legend, if two people in love confessed their feelings for one another on Christmas Eve, then their wish of remaining together forever would come true. _Get a hold of yourself, girl_… the miko chastised herself, even as she realized that Inuyasha was undoubtedly waiting for her to say…something.

"Of course Mama accepts you, Inuyasha." she assured him genuinely, surprised when he slowly shook his head before reaching into her lap to grab both of her hands in his own.

"Not just that." he stated cryptically, as he began smoothing circles over the tops of her hands with his thumbs. "She accepts _us_."

Kagome gasped at his words, but he knew she would, so he merely waited patiently for her surprise to wear off and her next reaction to kick in.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome spoke softly, her voice merely a whisper, though she knew he'd have no trouble hearing her. "I know Mama's the one who got you to stay. What…what did she tell you?"

"Only that you truly wanted me here with you tonight…" he answered, releasing her left hand to cup the side of her face. "…and why."

At his final words, he leaned forward, closing the gap between them as he gently brushed his lips against her own. How he'd longed to do that. The truth was, he'd tried to kiss her once several months back, which probably wouldn't have been a good idea at the time, considering how confused he'd been about everything back then. Then Kikyou had been resurrected right after that, and while having the two miko in his life at the same time had helped him sort out his feelings for Kagome, his obligation to Kikyou had had to take top priority. But now…now that Kikyou had finally found her peace, he was free to express his feelings for the girl in his arms. A girl he'd loved for quite some time now.

Kagome was stunned at Inuyasha's words, frozen in place, even as she saw him lean forward in some kind of slow motion, knowing what he was about to do even before she felt the light pressure of his lips upon her own. Everything kicked back into gear for her then, as she quickly returned his affection, reaching up with her free hand to gently cup the back of his neck while the hand still holding his own gave a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

What started as a chaste kiss of tender affection quickly escalated in intensity when Kagome decided to kick things up a notch. After all, he was the one who'd first initiated the act, so his feelings on the subject were explicitly clear. Keeping that line of logic in mind, the miko didn't hesitate more than a second before gently opening her lips, tracing the edges of his own with her tongue, until his mouth complied and granted her entry. From there she explored every inch of him, while encouraging him to do the same. Inuyasha released her other hand and brought his up and around her back, pulling her closer as the hand on her cheek moved to the back of her head. Kagome kept her hand at the back of his neck firmly in place, while raising her other to fist in his robes, needlessly preventing an escape he had no intention of making.

Inuyasha was gone, his mind evaporated somewhere along the way in the heat of their love. Just the feel of her, the smell of her, the _taste _of her… He had been dying of thirst his whole life, and she was a cool glass of water, quenching the need of his soul.

Still, even as she satisfied his very being, he could feel another need slowly arising within the both of them, the need for _air_. Regretfully pulling away after what seemed like eternity, but was in reality more like two minutes, Inuyasha continued to hold Kagome's head in place as he gently rested his forehead against her own, attempting to both catch his breath as well as gather his thoughts.

Kagome was no better off, as she found herself reliving the last few minutes of her life over and over again, both because she wanted to savor the memory, as well as wracking her brain to try and figure out how such a thing had come to pass in the first place. They'd certainly increased the size of the elephant in the room, if they were going to try and act as though that kiss had never happened. Gods, how she hoped that wouldn't be the case. He wasn't going to suddenly clam up and act like his old gruff self, was he?

That worry quickly proved ungrounded when, as soon as he caught his breath, Inuyasha pulled himself away from Kagome only enough so that he could look her in the eyes, as he whispered, "Merry Christmas."

Breaking down into a fit of laughter from the feeling of pure happiness rushing through her, Kagome flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around the man before her and pulling him into a tender embrace.

"I love you…" she whispered into his hair, although she regretted the words the moment they escaped her mouth at the feel of him stiffening within her arms.

Of course, Inuyasha was from another time, and you simply did not go blurting out such things in the Feudal era. Love was _shown_, through actions and behaviors, vows of protection and promises of devotion. Miroku and Sango were clearly in love with one another, and were even engaged to be married after the fall of Naraku, yet Inuyasha had never once overheard either of them actually telling the other to their face that they loved them, and he overheard a _lot _of stuff. Of course, that also included overhearing Kagome cry out that she loved him just as he'd crashed through the wall of that building Kagura and Akago had held her captive in. But hearing her tell him straight out to his face was different, and it caught him off guard. He didn't realize that she'd misread his surprise until he felt her start to pull away, at which point he desperately tightened his hold around her body.

"Oh no you don't…" he spoke softly, in reference to her failed escape attempt. "You don't go throwing something like that at me, and then give me only five seconds to respond before jumping to conclusions." He felt her stiffen that time at his words, but smiling into her hair as he rested his mouth next to her ear, he continued in a soft whisper. "You surprised me, you know. In my time people just don't blurt out such things, but…" His smile increased as he could feel her holding her breath for his next words. "…I love you, too."

He pulled away from her then, only enough to look her in the eyes once more, and what he saw there melted his very being. He had never seen Kagome look so happy before in the entire time that he'd known her, and even though he could smell the salt-water gathering in her eyes, he knew that for once they were tears of joy. Suddenly finding himself at a loss for words, he reached up to push a stray hair back behind her ear, before leaning forward to kiss her once more. Kagome didn't even hesitate for a second before eagerly reciprocating, and it wasn't long before the kiss escalated to beyond what either of them had anticipated.

Still sitting Indian style on her bed, Inuyasha tugged Kagome forward, until she was sitting in his lap, her hairbrush discarded to thump on the floor as she untangled her own legs to wrap them firmly around his buttock. One of his large hands rested firmly in the middle of her back, holding her to him while also offering support so that she wouldn't fall backwards, while his other hand tangled in her hair as he kept her face pressed against his own. Both of Kagome's hands found their way to his face and hair, as she seemed to memorize the feel of him while exploring his mouth and beyond with her own, kissing the sides of his mouth, his cheeks and chin, before carefully testing the length of his fangs with her tongue. Her right hand found its way further north, and swiftly began massaging his left ear. Inuyasha moaned into her mouth at the sensation, as warming tingles washed through his very being.

Breaking his mouth free from her own and gasping for breath, he quickly delved lower, gently nipping her chin before lowering his head to nip and kiss at her neck, careful not to break her delicate human skin with his demonic teeth. Kagome moaned loudly at the contact, or what at least seemed to be loud to his sensitive hanyou ears, and the sound was enough to slowly drag him back into reality, as he released his hold and pulled away enough to gaze at the panting girl sitting in his lap, her face flush and lips swollen from kissing.

"Kagome…" he groaned, feeling the strain of the rest of his body that wanted to continue their actions unhindered.

The girl in question blinked a few times, as if hearing her name had cleared her mind from the fog it'd been submerged in, but then, instead of coming to her senses and removing herself from his lap, as he had been expecting her to do, she merely stared up at him, as if she could read his very soul. She probably could.

_There's no going back now…_ Kagome told herself, as she stared lovingly into her companion's eyes, eyes that were filled with so much love, so much _want, _that the intensity of his gaze sent shockwaves running through her. He seemed frozen, waiting for her to make the next move, and it didn't take Kagome long to realize that he was feeling unsure, not of their love, but of how far she was willing to go.

Finding herself unable to form words, and partially worried that even attempting to speak would somehow manage to shatter the magic suspended between them, Kagome did something that not even Inuyasha could misunderstand. She crossed her arms in front of herself, grabbed the bottom edges of her pajama top, and pulled it up over her head.

He gasped, a choked, panting sound, as though he couldn't quite catch his breath, while his heart simultaneous tried to break free from his chest with how forcefully it was suddenly pounding. As though in a trance, he raised his right hand, half expecting to hear her scream _hentai _at any moment, as he slowly and carefully cupped her left breast. All of the air whooshed out of him, every ounce of tension he'd been feeling escaping his body with the force of his exhale. He couldn't help the tug he felt at the corners of his mouth, as a smile rose of its own accord, and not a perverted smile, but one of pure, elated joy. Raising his eyes back up from her chest to meet her own eyes of molten chocolate, he was beyond relieved to see her merely smiling back at him.

Inuyasha was the one to progress things, then, as he raised his left hand to replace it on her middle back, relishing in the feel of her bare skin underneath his fingers, as he slowly leaned forward to kiss her once more. The kiss was slower this time, more sensual, as they both took their time exploring one another. Inuyasha let his hands gradually roam all over Kagome's upper body, and the miko didn't seem to mind his touch in the slightest, as she merely continued to play with his ears, before growing bolder and working her hands into the front of his robes to feel his bare chest underneath her own fingertips. When Inuyasha felt her tugging at where his suikan and kosode were tied in the front, he didn't resist her, and even assisted her when she loosened the garments by pulling his arms free from his billowing sleeves, allowing his robes to fall behind him to where they remained tucked within his hakama, as he too then sat topless before her.

With things heating back up between them, Kagome grew fiercer, as she tightened her arms and legs wrapped around him and pulled herself as closely against his body as she could go. She felt more than heard him hiss at the contact, as her pajama-clad lower half pressed up against his excitement; they both froze.

"Ka-Kagome…" he managed to rasp out, the single word holding a thousand questions.

Feeling a wave of determination born from her feelings of love for this man, Kagome reached down between them and squeezed him through the fabric of his hakama and fundoshi. "Inuyasha…" she panted, as she began palming him through his clothing, while simultaneously pressing her bare chest against his own.

He groaned and tightened his hold on her, as he pulled her backward only enough so that he could lower his mouth to her right breast. It was her turn to hiss at the contact, then, as he pleasured her sensitive flesh. Switching to her left, Inuyasha offered that one the same treatment, not stopping in his action even when he felt Kagome's talented fingers dance across his own chest, gently pinching beaded flesh. Somehow managing to open her eyes, which she couldn't even recall closing, Kagome was greeted with the sight of Inuyasha's furry ears right before her mouth, and stretching her neck forward, she took advantage of the opportunity, capturing his right ear gently between her teeth. She smiled to herself as she felt him flinch, before doubling his efforts below, as he began suckling from her as though he were a pup. Two could play at that game, she mused, as she stuck her tongue out and ran it along the sensitive pink flesh that lined the inside of his ear.

He choked, and before Kagome even knew what was happening, she suddenly found herself lying flat on her back, an amused Inuyasha lying possessively over her.

"Think you're clever, do you?" he teased, before backing away from her slightly.

Lying still and trying to catch her breath, Kagome stared blankly at the ceiling while still trying to figure out how he'd moved so damn quickly, when she suddenly registered a whoosh of cold air passing over her legs, and realized that Inuyasha had just tugged off her pajama pants and socks, leaving her clad only in white cotton panties. Sitting up slightly, she was about to get upset at their unfair playing field when she caught sight of him diligently working to untie the knot on his hakama. By the time her mind fully registered what was happening, he had his pants undone, and removed them along with his robes to pile on the floor.

A sudden wave of nervousness washed over her, as the reality of the situation really started crashing down around her, but as if predicting her reaction, Inuyasha merely climbed up along side her body, pulling her sideways into a tender embrace. She could feel his obvious excitement pressing into her belly, but he made no move to progress things any further until she calmed down.

"Only when you're ready…" she heard him whisper into her hair, and her love for him instantly doubled.

Growing braver once more, Kagome raised her right hand to carefully trace the defined muscles of his left hip and thigh, a part of his body she'd never seen before, except for the time he'd barged into her room wearing nothing but bubbles. She couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped her at the memory, but he made no comment as to what she was thinking about, as she continued to trace him with her fingertips. Bringing her hand up and over his hip, she felt where his fundoshi was wrapped around him, and without really knowing why, she followed the fabric around to the back, where the tightly wound cord of cloth folded in on itself and turned, disappearing between his cheeks.

_A 15__th__ century thong…_ she joked in her mind as she braved cupping his ass, which earned a quiet chuckle from the man trying to let her explore his body uninterrupted. He _had _told her that 'he' was her Christmas present, after all, so she could do with him as she saw fit.

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he felt Kagome explore every inch of him she could reach. She ran her hands up along his back, his chest, his arms, his legs…she even delicately traced the lines of his face, the shape of his lips, the bridge of his nose. It was as if she was committing every part of him to memory. His eyes snapped open when he felt her delicately wrap her hand around him _there_.

"This is…for me?" she asked timidly.

"Only for you…" he panted, as he braved reaching down between her own legs, his eyes questioning.

"Only for you." she repeated at his expression.

Remaining extremely careful of his claws, Inuyasha touch Kagome in a way that had her moaning his name. Her breathing grew heavy as she began rocking against him, which only encouraged him to hasten his strokes. It wasn't long at all before Kagome's entire body stiffened against him, and she had to bite into his shoulder to prevent from crying out as wave after wave of pure ecstasy washed over her.

As if he'd stepped out of himself for a moment, the reality of what'd just happened only sank into Inuyahsa's brain as he felt the girl in his arms start to relax, as an intense wave of male pride consumed him with the knowledge that _he _had just brought her such pleasure. He knew that Kagome had never been touched by another, and if he had anything to say about it, she would never _be _touched by another, for the rest of her life. The fact that he himself had also never before been touched by anyone so intimately wasn't lost on him, and as Kagome began stroking him through the fabric of his loincloth, he knew their final articles of clothing had to go. If there had been enough blood left in his brain to form more intricate thoughts, Inuyasha might've taken the time to wonder at the marvel that this girl was willing to be with him. Him, a hanyou! But as it was, while the reason _why _Kagome accepted him as she did was still a mystery to him, he had nevertheless accepted the fact that it was true. She loved him, just the way he was. She loved him…and he loved her…and together, they would share in the most intimate expression of love that any two people could partake in.

Reaching down and stilling her hand, Inuyasha answered her questioning look with one of love as he moved her hand to his hip, where the end of his fundoshi was tied off. Kagome's eyes opened wide with instant understanding, and before he could worry if he'd been too bold, he felt her begin tugging loose his last barrier. The barriers of his heart had all crumbled to dust long ago, and while he knew that Mrs. Higurashi had spoken of letting Kagome in 'at least for tonight', he knew in that moment that there was no way he could ever keep her fully shut out ever again.

A fundoshi was rather difficult to untie while lying on one's side, however, so after realizing she was facing a bit of difficulty, Inuyasha sat up to finish removing his final wrapping himself. Tossing the length of cloth onto the floor, he sat before her fully exposed. Fair was fair, so Kagome took that moment to remove her last article of clothing until she too was bare before him, as she discarded her final covering to land somewhere on the floor below.

Climbing back over her body, he settled himself against her, relishing in the sensation of flesh on flesh contact as he kissed her. Kagome soon melted underneath him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him to her as she returned his kisses. Slowly, bit-by-bit, Inuyasha lowered himself along her body, causing her arms to release him, as he enjoyed his second claim of her breasts before venturing even further south.

Kagome was flush, but not from embarrassment, as she gazed down to catch his hooded stare as he glanced back up at her before focusing his attention on his goal.

She had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out at the sensation. While she'd had an inkling as to what Inuyasha was about to do, nothing could have prepared her for how unbelievably fantastic it was going to feel. She'd pleasured herself from time to time in the past, but nothing could compare to what was happening now.

As for the hanyou, he was officially in heaven. Kagome was a drug and he was quickly losing his sanity to her siren's call. His body throbbed almost painfully with need, but he didn't care, wanting to make sure that the woman below him received as much pleasure as possible before he took his own. He didn't have long to wait.

For the second time that night, Kagome exploded in a tsunami of ecstasy that encased her very soul, desperately trying to muffle her screams as her muscles shook involuntarily. Drifting back down from Nirvana, she opened her eyes lazily to be greeted by the lopsided grin of her lover gazing down at her.

"Better than ramen." he murmured quietly, amusement twinkling in his eyes as he saw her chuckle softly at his words.

Inuyasha held himself above her body, holding his weight up on his arms as he placed his hands on either side of her head. With his legs resting between her own, he lowered his hips slowly, making sure she was ready.

"Kagome…"

The sound of his voice, the way he spoke her name, it was as much a request for her to listen as it was a promise of his unending love.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" she responded, his name a whispered prayer from her lips.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do this, to be here with you…like this." he answered, pushing himself forward just a little bit.

Kagome stiffened slightly but her eyes were filled with nothing but love and honesty as she replied, "I can imagine, if you've wanted this for as long as I have."

Closing his eyes as he felt the tangible force of her love consume him, Inuyasha leaned down to kiss her once more, as he slowly pushed his hips forward. He desperately tried to go slow, knowing her first time would be mildly painful, but it was torturous for him as well. Wonderful, blissful torture. Kagome was pure. He knew he was the first one, the only one, to touch her in such a manner. Joining fully, he had to still his body just to keep from losing his mind. Nothing in his long life could have ever prepared him for the immeasurable levels of euphoria washing through him.

Trying to control her breathing, Kagome concentrated on keeping her body relaxed. It didn't hurt as badly as she'd been led to believe. Discomfort aside, no sensation in the world was more wonderful than the feeling of she and Inuyasha becoming one, as the two of them joined in the most intimate way any two people could join. While neither of them could be certain of what the future held, for either of them, one thing _was _certain, above all others. Never would either of them forget this moment, or the fact that they were loved.

Wrapping her arms up and around his back once more, holding him to her tightly, Kagome's soul rejoiced in the feeling of _oneness_ running through her. Still, after a few moments, and realizing that Inuyasha had yet to move, she began to grow worried.

"Are you all right?" she whispered caringly.

"I'm supposed to ask you that." he panted in response, before lifting his head enough to meet her eyes with his own. "Yes, I'm all right. _More _than all right." he assured her.

Raising her hips, Kagome had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing at the expression that appeared on his face, as he pinched his eyes shut and moaned in what sounded like some twisted combination of pleasure and agony.

"You can move, you know." she assured him tenderly, "I won't break."

"Fuck, woman…" he groaned, "Do that again and _I'll _break."

Kagome snickered, but obediently remained still, smiling as he grinned and kissed her nose before slowly retracting his hips before pressing them forward once more. They both moaned at the sensation. Gradually, bit-by-bit, Inuyasha increased his tempo, as he carefully held most of his weight on his arms so as not to crush her while still resting his body flush against her own, enjoying the feel of flesh on flesh contact. With each stroke bringing him closer and closer to the precipice, he could feel his pending release encroach upon him. Kagome could sense it within him as well, and when he stilled above her, grunting under his breath, she whispered once more that she loved him.

He collapsed against her then, his arms shaky and no longer able to support him. Kagome kept her arms wrapped firmly around his back, feeling each shudder that ran through his body. He lied like that for several minutes until finally turning over, maneuvering her blankets up and over them as he snuggled against her. The thought that Inuyasha might possibly still have a mind to sleep on the floor after all they'd shared never even occurred to the miko, as she snuggled herself closely into his side. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in even closer, as he turned them both over onto their sides so that she was spooned tightly in his embrace, his hand on her belly.

Feeling more comfortable, more content than either of them could ever recall feeling before in their lives, it wasn't long before a calm, peaceful sleep enveloped them.

...

Kagome awoke to the warming rays of Christmas morning's light breaking past the barrier of her bedroom window. There was a sense of tranquility in the atmosphere that she couldn't quite place, until the memories of last night's activities came rushing into her, as the fog of sleep lifted from her mind, and she registered the sensation of warm arms wrapped around her body.

"Oh, wow…" she murmured to herself, nearly a whisper.

"You can say that again." came the instant reply from the owner of said arms.

Smiling, Kagome rolled over to find herself face to face with Inuyasha's handsome visage, a few stray hairs falling in front of his eyes that she tried her best to push back, despite the lack of a human ear from which to tuck them behind.

"Good morning." she said softly.

"Yes it is." was his reply, as he leaned his head forward to gently kiss the hand she let linger near his face.

"Silver and gold…" she murmured, earning a raised eyebrow before he eloquently inquired, "Huh?"

Giggling, Kagome explained, "Silver and gold…your hair and eyes…one of my favorite Christmas songs is entitled 'Silver and Gold', and they've always been my favorite color ornaments to decorate our tree with."

"Oh yeah…" he muttered in thought, "I noticed that." he recalled.

"Silver and gold, silver and gold, everyone wishes for silver and gold." she sang softly, sticking her tongue out and giggling when he gave her a strange look. "How do you measure its worth? Just by the pleasure it gives here on Earth." she finished with a wink, earning a chuckle from the man lying beside her.

She smiled to herself quietly for a moment, until the reality of the situation started to settle in on her. She and Inuyasha were lying together in bed, naked, and joking with one another as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"This is real." she whispered, not as a question, but as though she was trying to convince herself of that fact.

Grinning, Inuyasha tightened his arms around her, and pulling her forward into a tender embrace, he kissed her forehead. "This is real." he assured her.

"We can't go back to the way things were." Kagome murmured, worrying her bottom lip.

"I don't want to." was his instant response.

"We still have to defeat Naraku and purify the jewel."

"Bring it on."

Chuckling quietly, Kagome leaned forward and gave her lover a quick, chaste kiss. Then getting serious for a moment, she said softly, "We don't know what will happen once the jewel is gone, if it will try to separate us, but I swear to you, even if that were to happen, I would spend the rest of my life trying to get back to you. It's in your arms that I want to stay, always."

"I don't want to think about you being taken from me." Inuyasha started slowly, "But I know I'm not the only one who needs you in their life. You have an entire family on this side, a family that loves you. If we do get separated…I will wait for you, even if it takes five hundred years."

"You're right, I don't want to think of such things right now."

Chuckling himself that time, Inuyasha leaned forward to return his love's chaste kiss, before murmuring, "Then how about we see about breakfast? I can hear your mother clanking around in the kitchen."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." she agreed, sitting up despite her lack of attire.

Grinning elfishly, Inuyasha sat up beside her, and unable to stop himself, he reached over to tweak one of her rosy buds. The act startled Kagome, but then instead of getting angry or embarrassed, she merely smirked, a look that prompted a playful gulp from her hanyou companion.

"Merry Christmas." she cooed, leaning forward to deliver a kiss that was anything but chaste, before delightfully springing from the bed to gather her clothes.

Groaning at the thought of the vixen he'd created, Inuyasha merely shook his head in amusement, trying to will his sudden excitement away so that he could greet the rest of her family. "Merry Christmas." he replied, the twinkle in his eye promising that he'd get her back for her little stunt, eventually.

* * *

There is now a post-manga sequel to this story, entitled "I'll be home for Christmas".


End file.
